St George Greek Orthodox Church Parish Community Shepparton

10/10/2026

Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council
October 11

Today we remember the Fathers of Nicaea II, or the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787. Called to gather at the site of the first council, which had determined who Christ was, these Fathers had to grapple with the heresy of iconoclasm. The location was an appropriate choice, for the iconoclasts were close to denying the human nature of the divine person, Jesus Christ. His humanity and divinity had been affirmed at Nicaea back in 325.

The key declaration of this council is still true for iconoclasts of our time:

“As the sacred and life-giving cross is everywhere set up as a symbol, so also should the images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the holy angels, as well as those of the saints and other pious and holy men be embodied in the manufacture of sacred vessels, tapestries, vestments, etc., and exhibited on the walls of churches, in the homes, and in all conspicuous places, by the roadside and everywhere, to be revered by all who might see them. For the more they are contemplated, the more they move to fervent memory of their prototypes. Therefore, it is proper to accord to them a fervent and reverent adoration, not, however, the veritable worship which, according to our faith, belongs to the Divine Being alone — for the honour accorded to the image passes over to its prototype, and whoever adores the image adores in it the reality of what is there represented."

Because Jesus is a human being, like us in every way except sin, he can give us a model of how to live a full human life. This is why the goal of the first seven ecumenical councils was to define who Jesus the Messiah (Greek, Christ, “the anointed one”) is so that we could imitate him. The main message of the councils was that Jesus is truly God, the Son and Word of God, and that he is truly a human being, as the Council of Chalcedon (451) said, “one in essence with the Father and one in essence with us.” The Seventh Council was the high point and conclusion of this process, and said that we could depict Christ in icons, because he had taken human form and that in some way we come to the Father, as Jesus taught Phillip, “whoever has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9).” As he is a human being, we, in our human nature, can imitate him, as he taught, “whoever would be my disciple must take up his cross and follow me (Mark 8:34).” In this way, since Jesus is the express image of the Father, (Hebrews 1:2) by imitating him we can be, as he commanded, “perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).”

Sunday of the 7th Ecumenical Council

Saints, Feasts, and Readings for 11/10/2026

Saints and Feasts: Sunday of the 7th Ecumenical Council; Philip of the 7 Deacons; Theophanes the Confessor; Martyrs Zenais and Philonilla; Nectarios, Arsakios, Sisinios and Philotheos; Abbess Ethelburga of Barking; Righteous Kenneth of Ireland

Tone Two
Eothinon 8

Matins Gospel Reading: John 20:11-18
At that time, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that He had said these things to her.

Epistle Reading: Titus 3:8-15
Titus, my son, the saying is sure.
I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men.
But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile.
As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned.

When I send Artemas or Tychicos to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.
Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.
And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful.

All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Gospel Reading: Luke 8:5-15
The Lord said this parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and were trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.” And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. And as for those in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.” As he said these things, he cried out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

08/10/2026

Holy Apostle James, the Son of Alphaeus
http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2015/10/holy-apostle-james-son-of-alphaeus.html

St. James, Son of Alphaeus (Feast Day - October 9)

James was lifted up on the cross,
For it pleased You, Saviour, to show him worthy.
On the ninth, James was stretched out on the cross.

The holy Apostle James was the son of Alphaeus and brother of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew,* who was formerly a publican. When our Lord Jesus Christ, abiding on earth in the flesh, chose simple and pious men for the dignity of the apostolate, to send them forth to preach the Gospel throughout the world, He also chose this James, and numbered him among the choir of the apostles as one worthy. James became one of the twelve apostles, an eyewitness and minister of Christ, the preacher of His mysteries and His follower.

Having received, with the other apostles, the Holy Spirit, who descended upon them in the likeness of tongues of fire, he went to many places among the Gentiles, including Gaza and Eleutheropolis, to preach Christ and guide the erring to the path of salvation. Aflame with the fire of divine zeal, he burned up the thorns of ungodliness, smashed idols to pieces, destroyed their temples, healed diverse illnesses, drove evil spirits out of people, and brought a great multitude of people to Christ. Having sowed the seed of the word of God in people's hearts, he planted faith and piety, for which reason he was called the "Divine Seed".

Having gathered a harvest of people for salvation, he ended his earthly course as an emulator of the sufferings of Christ. While proclaiming the good news of salvation in the Egyptian town of Ostrakina, he was arrested and sentenced to crucifixion, and in this manner he surrendered his soul into the hands of God.
Portions of the holy relics of the Apostle James can be found in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles in Rome and the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon of Mount Athos.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
As a divine apostle, O glorious James, thou didst receive the fiery grace of the Spirit within thy soul. Thou didst shine forth in the world like a morning star, ending the polytheistic night of idolatry. And now do thou pray unceasingly in behalf of our souls.

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
Having proved thyself most wondrous in netting the nations, and showing thyself a most honourable companion of the apostles, O James, thou didst dispense the wealth of thy healings to the world and dost protect those who laud thee. Wherefore, with one voice we cry aloud to thee: Save us all by thine intercessions, O apostle.
O James, thou great apostle and seer of God, thou didst teach the nations and didst bring them to the Light. As thou art the Master's divine and blessed disciple, be thou mindful of us who honour thy holy memory.

HYMN OF PRAISE: The Holy Apostle James
By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

Sent by the Lord, and obedient to Him,
The all-glorious Apostle James laboured,
Sowing the Gospel seed everywhere,
So that from it would arise men faithful to Christ.
Throughout Syria and Egypt
He diligently poured forth the heavenly honey,
The sweet, healing words of Christ,
And fed hungry men with this wondrous golden food.
Wherever James travelled, he left a wonder:
Spiritual vessels full and overflowing with honey,
Inexhaustible, life-creating honey:
Holy churches, full of pure, sweet richness.
In them the eternal Creator is endlessly praised,
As are the wondrous works of the Son of God.
Christ is that honey given to the faithful,
A life-creating manna of bread and w**e.
James completed his journey with a mark of red-
His martyric blood, which poured down from the cross-
And he gained a wreath from Christ, in heaven,
As have the other of God's apostles.
* It should be noted that some, such as St. Jerome, say that James the son of Alphaeus is the same as James the Less (or Younger), who in the Gospels is said to have been the son of Mary and brother of Joses. And it is recorded that this James the Less was beaten to death with clubs by Jews in Jerusalem. The Synaxarion of Constantinople, however, distinguishes the two, and James the Less is otherwise considered an obscure figure who may perhaps be the Brother of the Lord.

05/10/2026

Saint Thomas the Apostle as a Model for Our Lives
johnsanidopoulos.com/2013/10/the-apostle-thomas-as-model-for-our.html

St. Thomas the Apostle (Feast Day - October 6 and the First Sunday after Pascha)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

The Apostle Thomas belonged to a family of fishermen and was numbered among the choir of the Twelve Apostles. He is primarily known from the fact that he asked to see and touch the marks of the nails on the hands and the wound on the side of Christ.
As is known, the Apostle Thomas was absent when Christ, after His Resurrection, visited His Disciples in the upper room where they were gathered together. When he was informed about the visit of Christ, he asked to see and touch the wounds from the Cross on His hands and side. When this meeting finally took place eight days later, Thomas confessed Him to be his Lord and God.

On Resurrection Sunday, during the Vespers of Love, the Gospel reading is read in all the Sacred Churches, even in various languages, which refers to the visit of Christ to His Disciples when Thomas was absent.

The Apostle Thomas, after Pentecost, preached the gospel to the Parthians, the Persians, the Medes and the Indians. His life ended in martyrdom. First he was thrown into prison. Then he was given over to five soldiers, who took him up a mountain where they slew him by piercing his body with spears. The sacred hymnographer, describing the martyric end of the Apostle Thomas, addressed Christ, saying characteristically: "Thomas, who asked to put his hand on Your side, for You is pierced on his side."

The facts of his life, primarily those related to his faith and the manner in which it was expressed, give us the opportunity to emphasize the following:

First, the view has been held that the Apostle Thomas was an unbeliever, because he asked to see with his eyes and touch with his hands the Risen Christ. Of course, he said the words we all know: "Unless I see... I will not believe", but he was not an unbeliever in the sense that he was an atheist and doubted the Resurrection of Christ. He was informed by the other Apostles about the Resurrection of Christ, as well as His visit "while the doors were shut". He also wanted to have a personal experience of this wonderful event. He wanted a personal encounter with the Risen Christ, to enjoy the blessing of His presence and go from faith by hearing to faith by theoria (vision).

"According to the teachings of our Fathers, Thomas was not an unbelieving Apostle in the way we think of or mean by the word unbelief, but he wanted to go from a faith by hearing to a faith by theoria (vision). Faith by hearing is the faith associated with information given by others. The Disciples assured the Apostle Thomas they had seen Christ, but he was not content in this belief but he wanted a faith by theoria, he wanted to personally see Christ. So Christ gave him a whole week to be catechized and then He appeared to give him the faith by theoria. Then Thomas said: 'My Lord and my God.'"
(Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou, Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi, "Sermons for August", July-August 2003.)

Second, when Christ visited His Disciples again after eight days, He invited the Apostle Thomas to touch the marks of the wounds of His Body. Then the Apostle Thomas recognized Him and confessed Him Lord and God. He recognized Him by the wounds of the Cross, which are a sign of His love and His power. The Holy Fathers call the confession of Thomas salvific. Truly it leads to salvation all those who flee to Christ asking humbly for His mercy.

A Christ without the marks of the nails on His Body is not a true Christ. The Antichrist will resemble Christ on the outside, but he will not have the marks of the Cross. According to one Patristic interpretation, the original numbers χ ξ στ' (666), which refer to the Antichrist, means "χριστός ξένος σταυρού" (christ without cross).
Christ is recognized by the marks of the wounds of the Cross. And the genuine Disciples of Christ are also recognized by the marks of the Cross of Christ, which each one lifts willingly. Besides, there is no one in this life who does not bear their own cross. And when they refuse the light Cross of Christ, then they lift the heavy cross of sin.

True faith is directly connected with love and pain. Anyone who has found Christ within them, through obedience to the Church, they confess Him daily with their lives and literally melt from their love of God and neighbour.

Source: Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi, "ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ ΘΩΜΑΣ", October 2003. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW:
Holy Apostle Thomas: Epistle and Gospel Reading
johnsanidopoulos.com/2021/10/holy-apostle-thomas-epistle-and-gospel.html

Holy Apostle Thomas: Epistle and Gospel Reading

October 6

Prokeimenon. Mode Plagal 4.
Psalm 18.4,1
Their voice has gone out into all the earth.
Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:9-16

Brethren, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honour, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labour, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things. I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

Προκείμενον. Ήχος πλ. δ'.
Εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν.
Στίχ. Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ.

Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 4:9-16 τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα

Ἀδελφοί, ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους· ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ ἀγγέλοις, καὶ ἀνθρώποις. Ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν, ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ· ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί· ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι. Ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν, καὶ διψῶμεν, καὶ γυμνητεύομεν, καὶ κολαφιζόμεθα, καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν, καὶ κοπιῶμεν ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν· λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν· διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα· βλασφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν· ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι. Οὐκ ἐντρέπων ὑμᾶς γράφω ταῦτα, ἀλλʼ ὡς τέκνα μου ἀγαπητὰ νουθετῶ. Ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ, ἀλλʼ οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας· ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς, μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε.


Gospel According to John 20:19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them: "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him: "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said: "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Οὔσης ὀψίας τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων, καὶ τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ συνηγμένοι διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ. Ἐχάρησαν οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες τὸν Κύριον. Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Καθὼς ἀπέσταλκέ με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ πέμπω ὑμᾶς. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησε καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Λάβετε Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον· ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς, ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται. Θωμᾶς δὲ εἷς ἐκ τῶν δώδεκα, ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, οὐκ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ὅτε ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄλλοι μαθηταί· Ἐωράκαμεν τὸν Κύριον. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων, καὶ βάλω τὸν δάκτυλόν μου εἰς τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων, καὶ βάλω τὴν χεῖρά μου εἰς τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω. Καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ πάλιν ἦσαν ἔσω οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Θωμᾶς μετ᾽ αὐτῶν. Ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων, καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ εἶπεν· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Εἶτα λέγει τῷ Θωμᾷ· Φέρε τὸν δάκτυλόν σου ὧδε καὶ ἴδε τὰς χεῖράς μου, καὶ φέρε τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ βάλε εἰς τὴν πλευράν μου, καὶ μὴ γίνου ἄπιστος, ἀλλὰ πιστός. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Θωμᾶς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ὅτι ἑώρακάς με, πεπίστευκας· μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐνώπιον τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, ἃ οὐκ ἔστι γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ· ταῦτα δὲ γέγραπται ἵνα πιστεύσητε ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.

05/10/2026

05/10/2026

The Saints we honour this week 🙏

03/10/2026

Synaxarion of the Holy Martyrs Domnina, Bernike and Prosdoke

On this day [4th of October] we commemorate the Holy Martyr Domnina and her daughters Berine and Prosdoke

The three maidens were washed in the current of the river,
Ignoring their lives.

These Saints, inflicted with divine zeal and eros for God, left their homes and relatives and went to the city of Edessa. While residing there, behold, there suddenly came Berine's* man and father, who were pagan Greeks, together with other soldiers. The Saints were therefore arrested, and went to Hierapolis, near which a river runs. While the soldiers were eating and getting drunk, the Saints secretly escaped, and praying to God, they entered the river. There they gave themselves over to the waves of the river. In this way the blessed ones met their end through drowning in the water.**
* In the Synaxarion of Constantinople, her name is Berine, while Chrysostom says her name was Bernike, which in English can also be translated as Bernice or Veronica (her icon is the one above). In this passage, it suggests Bernike was married, or perhaps merely engaged, though her name here could be an error, where the author would have meant to put the name Domnina, since Chrysostom says both daughters were virgins.

** In his encomium to these Saints, the divine Chrysostom does not say that the two daughters of Domnina drowned themselves, but instead he says that Domnina drowned herself with her two daughters. She did this because she was afraid her two virgin daughters were going to be corrupted and r***d by the soldiers, who were drunk. The daughters obeyed their mother. He describes the incident as the mother grabbing one daughter with one hand and the other daughter with her other hand and all three drowned at the same time. They left their shoes behind on the shore. This was done by the Saints so that it would be known that they secretly escaped and drowned themselves, and not by the soldiers, in order for the soldiers to not be punished by the judge. Chrysostom praises the mother for the great courage she showed, having conquered nature's desire by not only killing herself but also those who were born from her womb, and he praises the daughters for their great and ready obedience, by allowing themselves to be drowned by their mother.

02/10/2026

01/10/2026

Synaxarion of Saints Cyprian and Justina

On the second of this month [October], we commemorate the Holy Hieromartyr Cyprian and Justina the Virgin.

Satan is pained seeing his old friend,
Lovingly welcome the sword and dying with Justina.
On the second Cyprian together with Justina was beheaded.

Cyprian was from Carchidon, or Carthage,* in Libya, but passed his time in Antioch of Syria during the reign of Emperor Decius (249-251). He was a rich noble, as well as a philosopher, and a magician at his pinnacle. He was brought to the Christian faith in the following manner. A Greek man named Aglaias fell in love with a virgin maiden, who was a Christian by faith, from Antioch, whose name was Justina. Unable to attain what he desired, what did he do? He went to the divine Cyprian, and begged that with his help he would be able to achieve his evil purpose. Cyprian read his books of magic, and sent many and various demons to beguile the maiden, and attract her towards the passionate love of Aglaias.

Then he sent to her the leader of the demons. However, he was unable to accomplish his purpose. Being sensible he realized by this the invincible power of Christ, by which the maiden put the demons to shame, and without avail they returned to their sender and he immediately turned from his delusion, and believed in Christ. In order to give the Bishop who was to baptize him more certainty that he was firm in his faith in Christ, he immediately brought out all his books of magic, and he burned them all in the presence of the Bishop. Thus he became a sheep in the rational flock of Christ through Holy Baptism. He was then ordained in steps as Reader, Subdeacon, Deacon, Presbyter and lastly he was ordained the Bishop of Carthage.* He also renamed Justina, who was previously known as Justa, and she was numbered among the Deacons of the Church, and made her the Mother and Abbess of the hermitages found there.

Having increased his flock by his words, and with his God-loving and virtuous life, and being filled from sunrise to sunset with the knowledge of God, he was finally brought before Emperor Decius. He therefore stood before him, and appearing above every flattery and threat, he was exiled. Because even in exile he did not cease taking care of his flock, and continuously supporting them through his letters, and by this he was victorious in erasing every delusion of idolatry, for this he was arrested by the count of the East named Eutolmios, and he was imprisoned together with the virgin Justina. Later they stood together in judgment at Damascus. Having both boldly confessed Christ, for this reason Cyprian was suspended and scr***d, and Justina was struck in the face without mercy. They were then put into a lit furnace. But with the power of Christ, they were preserved unharmed from the torment.

This wondrous thing was seen by the colleague of the count, whose name was Athanasios, and he senselessly broke down. And wanting to show his gods were higher and better than Christ, he called upon the false gods Zeus and Asclepios, and running he leapt into the lit furnace. Immediately the impious one was burned up. Considering what he should do, the count decided to send the Saints to Nicomedia to the emperor at the time Claudius (268-270). When Claudius learned of the steadfast and unalterable minds of the Saints, he had their heads cut off. In this way the thrice-blessed ones received the unfading crown of martyrdom. Their honourable relics were taken secretly by some Christians, who had just come from Rome, and they returned to Rome once again, bringing with them the written testimonies of the Saints.** And they treasured the relics on a famous hill of the city of Rome, where they work many healings for those who run to them with faith.

* Many sources, including Oration 24 of Gregory the Theologian and Saint Symeon the Metaphrastes, confuse Saint Cyprian of Carthage with Saint Cyprian of Antioch. As a result, Saint Cyprian of Carthage is not commemorated in the Orthodox Church, though some do commemorate him on September 16th, which is the date of his repose and commemoration by the Latin Church.

** This may be a reference to the work titled Confession of Saint Cyprian, said to be the work of Saint Cyprian himself, though this is doubted by many. Nonetheless, it was influential to people like Gregory the Theologian, who used the work through his Oration 24 to inspire the Christians to turn away from the idolatry of Julian the Apostate.


Apolytikion in the Third Tone
Having abandoned ungodly darkness, you became a light of the truth. You were illustrious as a pastor, and was glorified in contest. O Venerable Father Cyprian, together with godly Justina pray to God the Creator for us.

Kontakion in the First Tone
You renounced magic for the knowledge of God, and become a wise healer for the world. Together with Justina you cure those who honour you: with her pray to Christ our God the Lover of mankind that He may save our souls.

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/10/saints-cyprian-and-justina-resource-page.html